A/N: Thank you Inca for pointing out the mistake in my disclaimer. I DON'T own Harry Potter. See told you I wasn't thinking well yesterday, now imagine if I'd tried to actually write something.
Chapter 2
England
They all apparated into the darkened dorm room within minutes of each other and looked around. Minerva wasn't in the candle lit room, or so it appeared. Helena ran her fingers through her short auburn hair and turned to the two brunettes beside her. "Where's Minerva?"
Serena shrugged her tiny shoulders and cast a glance around the candlelit room. "I don't know, but what is going on?"
"I think Professor Dumbledore needs to be rescued." Came a voice from the shadows. Minerva walked into the lit circle, a piece of parchment in her hands. "I received this letter a week ago." She passed the note to Poppy, who read it, then handed it to the other two girls to read. "Since then I've had awful nightmares."
"Minerva, you don't believe in divination." Helena reminded her friend as she handed back the letter.
"You barely believe in astronomy." Sinistra added.
The Gryffindor sighed and sat on the floor. The other three girls followed suit and waited patiently. Minerva looked down at the floor, worry and fear fighting for control on her face. She pulled a strand of black hair from her ponytail and began to twist it and play with it. "I know, I know. But I can't explain it, they feel so real. I can hear Dumbledore screaming, I can hear someone laughing, and I'm in Germany."
Her eyes flew up to stare at her best friends. "I've never been to Germany." She reminded them. "But yesterday, I bought one of the muggle papers, and the picture on the front page, is what I've been seeing in my dreams for the last week…exactly what I've been seeing. I don't know how, but I know he needs us to rescue him."
Helena and Poppy shared a glance, looked back at their distressed friend, then to Serena, their resident clairvoyance expert. Serena shrugged. "This note could explain your dreams, if Grindelwald possesses the inner eye. I've heard of soul mates being so linked, even in muggles, that in times of high stress or great need, they can even speak to each other."
Helena couldn't help but snort. "You always did have a bit of a thing for him, didn't you Min?"
Minerva suddenly wished her hair was down so she could hide her flaming cheeks in the ebony. "You're suggesting that Alb…Professor Dumbledore" she corrected herself, when her three friends exchanged rather suggestive glances. "You're suggesting that we're soul mates? That's ridiculous Ren."
"Is it?" Poppy asked softly. "Okay, so he was our professor, and Lena and Ren may give you a bit of a hard time, but you forget, we've all seen you work together. You two don't even realize how in sync with each other you are. You don't even talk when you work together, you just know."
Minerva scoffed, even as the others nodded. "Don't be ridiculous. There has to be another explanation."
"We could look for one." Serena suggested. "And waste time that Professor Dumbledore probably doesn't have."
Blue eyes flashed into black and the young Gryffindor's jaw tightened. "We'll figure out why this happened later. We need to make a plan to get into Germany."
They all turned to Poppy, who usually came up with the best plans. "I need a map, a rather detailed map of Europe." Minerva pulled down her geography book and opened to the map of Europe, then she slid the book in front of her friend. The ravenclaw began to hum absentmindedly as she studied the routes to and from Germany, from all sides.
Helena, who was always up for a good adventure, was the first to get impatient. She quickly began pacing, ready to leave, long before Poppy had even finished looking at the routes. "Poppy!" She finally cried. The other girl looked up, startled. "There is no safe route from anywhere to Germany. There is no safe place in Germany! Staring at the map is not going to change that."
Despite the interruption, Poppy found herself grinning. Call-it-like-it-is Helena scored another point. "I know." She sighed, serious once again. We can apparate in to my quarters in Lyon, then we'll travel to Geneva, take the train to Berne and pass on foot over the mountains into Germany. We'll have to travel at night, when the soldiers are asleep. We hide during the day, and Min and Ren can go scouting in the early afternoon, to find out where the soldiers are."
All four nodded. "We'll leave in the morning." Minerva told them. "For now everyone should get some sleep."
Helena apparated home first, and Poppy quickly followed after a few words of comfort to her best friend. Serena was the last to leave. She waited for the others to be gone, then looked at Minerva. "What we're getting into is dangerous. For whatever reason, you have a link to Dumbledore, we need to know as best we can what we're going to be up against. Whether or not you believe what I said, tonight, instead of trying to run to him, try to talk to him. Concentrate on what he looks like, and send your thoughts."
Minerva nodded and watched as her last friend left. As soon as she was alone, she turned a nervous glance to her bed and the nightmares that it held.
She climbed quickly into the sheets and shut her eyes, trying to relax enough to fall asleep.
Bullets were flying and bombs were exploding in the street around her. There was the screaming again. A part of her tensed to try and run, but another part of her recalled Serena Sinistra's advice. She forced herself to relax, and closed her eyes. She drowned out the screams and laughter. She brought up a picture of Albus Dumbledore as she had last seen him, sitting behind his desk and smiling up at her when she came to say farewell after graduation. "Albus?"
Suddenly she felt as if she were flying forward. She opened her eyes. She was in a dark, dank cell, probably in a basement from the feel of it. Hunched against the wall, bruises on his face still bright, and his auburn hair matted, was her friend. "Albus." She whispered again.
His face flew up and, his eyes opened. Then he squinted in the light coming from her. "Minerva? What are you doing?...."
She could hear the worry in his voice and moved quickly to calm him. "I'm not really here Albus. I'm dreaming."
His laugh wasn't warm and soft as she was used to, it was a short bark, that spoke more of irony that hilarity. "You're dreaming."
Minerva moved to sit beside him, tears filling her eyes at how hurt he was. She slid her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. "Yes. Someone sent me a note, and since then I've had dreams of Germany, and you screaming. This is somewhere in Germany right?" He nodded, staring at her, as if he couldn't believe she was next to him, as if he wanted to memorize the sight of her, as if he thought he'd never see her again.
"And it's Grindelwald who has you?"
"Yes. Minerva?" She stopped studying the cell and looking for landmarks. This time the warmth was back in his voice as he spoke to her. "You're wearing your nightshift."
She blushed again and looked down. "So I am. I guess I've never given much thought to what I was wearing."
He took in the sight of her in the loose white gown, her silken raven-colored hair falling around it, and the pink in her cheeks. "It's beautiful." He told her softly. "You look like an angel."
"Well, then I'll have to be." She told him firmly. "We're coming to rescue you."
"Don't!" He commanded her. She fell back a bit. He'd never yelled at her like that. He must have realized he had scared her, because he softened his voice, but he was still very serious. "It's to dangerous. Promise me you won't come."
She jumped to her feet, shaking with anger. She stared down at him, trying to be intimidating. "I will do NOTHING of the sort! Poppy, Serena, Helena and I have a plan. And we are coming to rescue you!"
He moved to stand as well, but with a hiss of pain, he fell back down to the floor. Minerva's anger immediately flew out of her and she fell to his side, gently poking and lifting his shirt to find the wounds. "Oh, you're hurt!"
"And what do you plan on doing about it, my dear apparition?" He teased through gritted teeth as she ran a finger over one of the open sores.
"I'll know what Poppy should bring with her when we come."
"Minerva..." He protested.
"We're coming. You protected us for seven years Albus, it's our turn."
She felt lighter suddenly, and moaned. "Oh, no! I'm waking up! It must be morning!"
"Go, Minerva." He told her with a kiss to her forehead. "You have given me hope, and that is enough. But for Merlin's sake, BE CAREFUL!"
"I will. And I'll be back again soon." Then she stopped fighting and flew out of the dream.